


Yes, Ambassador

by Slant



Series: Yes, High king [3]
Category: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Book: The Silver Chair, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2015-01-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 07:53:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1091448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slant/pseuds/Slant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Narnian legislature attempts to get things done.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Parliament of owls; department of nocturnal avians

**Author's Note:**

> I was very sad to realise that since Jill and Eustace are not members of the Parliament of Owls, they can't be allowed in the debating chamber, and consequently this scene must take place in front of a select committee. That's why all remarks are not addressed to the Speaker.

"Great Scott!" said Scrubb. "You don't mean that Trumpkin is a traitor? I used to hear a lot about him in the old days, at sea. Caspian - the King, I mean - trusted him absolutely."

"Not a traitor." Said Glimfeather. "Much worse than that. Trumpkin is a _civil servant_ , and the King is away."  
"You'd think he'd listen to us, since we are a representative body of the legislature," said someone else. "But he's so senior now he'd only say, 'I am a humble servant of the Narnian executive. If you want to implement a policy, legislate for it to be done, and I shall be sure to give it the full attention of my department." The owl imitated Trumpkin's voice with the savagery of one who's political objectives have been repeatedly thwarted.  
"I don't suppose the Lion had the presence of mind to appoint either of you overtyrent of Narnia, with full executive power? He did that for Peter, the legends say." The owl carried on, voice shaking with awe, "They say that the High King can bend even the greatest of secretaries of state to his will, and cause them to get on and jolly well do whatever it was he wanted them to do."  
"He err... he didn't say anything like that to me. Peter never mentioned anything like that either." For a moment it looked like Scrubb was going to talk for Jill even when she would know better than him, but then he added, "Jill, did Aslan say anything about the political situation while you were alone with him?"  
"I was given a quest to perform as a representative of Aslan. It is tautologous that I have full plenipotentiary powers relating to actions taken in pursuit of that quest. Trumpkin might be able to argue about the extent of my portfolio, but even if the High King were here he couldn't overrule me." Jill was very, very tired, so she added. "As such, while I would not dream of dictating to a legislative body such as this, you are, as a courtesy, going to bring me human food and a large bed. If any of you night birds can out-fly a ship, you'll go and get the King. If not, go to the Screech or whatever it's called and get the Gulls or the Albertrosses or whoever to do it at daybreak. The quest for the heir is out of his hands, and he should come back and reign."


	2. Chair of silver, committee of clay

They set off a few days later than if they had gone with the owl's original plan, but in that time, the King had been recalled, Jill and Eustace and their guide to the north (a gloomy Marshwriggle named Puddleglum) were drilled on the previous failed quests for the heir and the Signs given by Aslan were added to the Narnian civil service's institutional knowledge.

This last had required meeting not only regent Trumpkin, but also an ancient tree spirit called Sir Arnold.   
"Good afternoon your excellency. Before we start can I say that I, as a representative of the Narnian state am willing, nay eager, to help you in whatever way we can. Can I offer you some tea?"  
"Thank you Sir Arnold."  
"To get down to business, I should like to enquire as to the extent of you're interactions with the Lion. Please be unstinting with your description, we hear so seldom from our creator."  
By the time they were done, Jill was convinced of several things. That there would be no delays in getting her Lion-touched self out of Narnia proper and into the wider world where her pronouncements would be less inconvenient. That Trumpkin would inevitably arrange things so that he had to implement the policies that he wished to implement, regardless of the sentiments of his political masters. That Trumpkin had but a pale shadow of Sir Arnold'a guile, and that Peter, who she had never met, did not have mystical powers over secretaries of state.


	3. Ambassador-at-Large to the Northern wastes: News from home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It lives! Largely inspired by Ana Mardoll's deconstruction/ discussion forum.

On the second day of the journey north, a Crow flew down to them from the south and landed with a heavy flap of his wings. As with the owls, he was a terrifyingly huge bird, at least four feet at the shoulders with a wingspan that easily covered the three of them.  
"Greetings Ambassador-at-Large to the Northern wastes, Son of Adam, Daughter of the marshes. I am Grímfeather."  
"Hello scion of Huginn and Muninn," said Puddleglum, who knew the appropriate forms.  
"Sir Arnold sends his regards. He has spent the last days in consultation with those others who remember the ancient giants. There was a statue to their greatest lord, and a carved inscription that should have been large enough to have survived the centuries more-or-less intact," Grímfeather paused. "You are not going to like it."  
"I can't think that Aslan would give us signs we can't use," said Eustace  
Jill, who remembered being told that if she didn't drink she'd die of thirst, and that he may eat her for drinking, made a non-committal sort of noise.  
"It said 'Though under Earth and throneless now I be, Yet while I lived, all Earth was under me'."  
The children and Marsh-Wiggle looked at the Crow. The wind blew some snow around. The Crow looked at the Marsh-Wriggle. The children looked at each other.  
It was Puddleglum who broke the silence. "Sensible attitude. Transience of all things, nothing endures, everyone dies eventually."  
"And then they are delicious," added Grímfeather. "I'm flying on ahead. There may be other inscriptions, new or forgotten. It's been a long time since anyone visited the ruined city. If I can't help in any other way, then by your leave Ambassador."  
"Oh, yes. Sorry, I was a bit taken aback. Thank you for the news Grímfeather, and you may of course travel with us if you want."  
"No I must go on. The eyeballs aren't getting any fresher."  
"When you come back we shall probably all be dead of cold or hunger. I expect I shall be stringy, too." Puddleglum seemed to be enjoying her customary gloom more than usual.  
Grímfeather hesitated before taking off. "Thank you sister," he said before launching himself into the wind with a raucous caw.  
"What was that about?" asked Eustace, "the sister thing?"  
Jill thought him very rude to ask, but was curious herself.  
"I shouldn't think that I'll make it back to Narnia, but that's no reason my eyeballs shouldn't, and it might do him a good turn."  
Puddleglum explained that it would be very rude to eat somone's still-steaming corpse if you hadn't been invited to. Both children turned a little green.  
"I expect I shall give him botulism."

**Author's Note:**

> The legend of the High King's effectiveness is, of course, false.


End file.
